Rooney dropped as United are held

16 October 2010 07:30

Viewed : 24

Sir Alex Ferguson dumped Wayne Rooney to the bench, then saw his side throw away another two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against West Brom as Manchester United's season lurches from one crisis to another.
The Red Devils' title challenge is in danger of disintegrating before the onset of winter after a calamitous mistake from Edwin van der Sar allowed Somen Tchoyi to complete a staggering comeback.
Javier Hernandez and Nani appeared to have put the hosts on the road to victory with their first-half strikes, only for Patrice Evra's bizarre own goal to provide West Brom with their window of opportunity.
Yet the biggest story was perhaps that Rooney sat through all the drama on the bench, the cover of injury he himself had removed no longer available to explain an absence that was the culmination of an awful six months.
Even when he came on with 19 minutes left, it was not as a central striker, although he did have United's best chance of a winner, which was turned away by James Morrison.